Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company continues its 2026–2027 Mainstage Season with Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Topdog/Underdog,” a gripping two-person drama exploring brotherhood, rivalry, survival, and the ties that bind families together.
The play is directed by three-time Barrymore Award-winning artist Amina Robinson and co-produced with People’s Light. “Topdog/Underdog“ starts its run on the Arden’s Arcadia stage on October 29, with Arden’s opening night on November 4, and performances running through December 13. Single ticket prices vary by performance and start at $32. Tickets are available to purchase online, by phone at 215.922.1122, or at the box office at Arden Theatre Company, located at 40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia.
Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog“ tells the story of brothers Lincoln and Booth, unfortunately named as a joke by their father, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Now adults, they share a single room passing time telling stories, testing each other, and circling the street con game of three-card monte. Haunted by the hands they’ve been dealt, the brothers reckon with what their futures will entail.
“Topdog/Underdog is one of those plays that reveals something new every time you encounter it,” said Director Amina Robinson. “Suzan-Lori Parks has created two unforgettable characters whose humor, pain, and resilience stay with you long after the play ends. To bring this story to life with artists from People’s Light and Arden is incredibly exciting because it reflects what makes Philadelphia’s theater community so special…a willingness to collaborate, challenge one another, and create work that’s bigger than any one institution. I’m especially excited to see how the distinct spaces and stages at People’s Light and Arden will shape the production in different ways and how each environment will invite us to discover something new in the play.”
“The Arden is thrilled to co-produce Suzan-Lori Parks’ brilliant play with People’s Light and this remarkable team of Philadelphia artists,” said Terrence J. Nolen, Producing Artistic Director at Arden Theatre Company. “Amina Robinson has directed a production that is set here in Philly, with a cast that features two great Philadelphia actors — Akeem Davis and George McGriff. Between People’s Light and Arden, Akeem and George will be performing this play 89 times — allowing an extraordinary opportunity for their work to grow and deepen and for audiences throughout the region to experience this revelatory play that The New York Times has called ‘the greatest American play of the past 25 years.'”
“Topdog/Underdog is exactly the kind of work that benefits from artists and institutions coming together around a shared creative vision. This collaboration with the Arden allows the production to have a life beyond a single stage and invites audiences in two distinct communities to experience Suzan-Lori Parks’ powerful examination of family, identity, and survival,” said Zak Berkman, Executive Artistic Director for People’s Light. “The Arden and People’s Light are siblings in our commitment to stage vibrant, heart-stirring theatre, and we are proud to share this production with our Old City kin as we build the kind of creative partnerships that strengthen theatre throughout our region.”
Visit the Arden Theatre’s website for more information including tickets, cast details, and schedule information for special event nights.
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